Uncertainty grips African Games-bound teams

With less than 10 days until the start of the African Games in Accra, Ghana, the composition of Team Kenya for the event is still uncertain.

The quadrennial Games are set for March 8-23.

The Games were scheduled for last year, but a dispute over marketing rights and the host nation's financial constraints forced the organisers to push the multi-sport event to this year.

Ghana had secured a $3 billion(Sh441 billion) development loan from the International Monetary Fund last May, and many Ghanaians protested that holding Africa Games would be irresponsible in their financial state at the time.

In the last edition held in Rabat, Morocco, in 2019, Kenya had a contingent of 259 (128 men and 131 women) from 20 disciplines.

Kenya finished seventh with 31 medals (10 gold, 11 silver and 10 bronze). The event attracted 41 nations.

Egypt won the overall title with 273 medals (102 gold, 98 silver and 73 bronze).

Kenya National Sports Council (KNSC), whose role is to facilitate the development and organisation of sporting activities in the country, was Thursday yet to name the official number of disciplines and athletes that will represent the country during the the 13th edition to be hosted across three cities, Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast.

A KNSC official, who requested not to be named, said there will be less representation at the Games as the country was operating on a shoestring budget.

The official, however, failed to reveal the budget they had presented to the government and how much was approved.

"The confirmation of participating disciplines came in batches over the weekend and that shows the uncertainty we are in. Other teams are still being added to the list and so we can't really tell how the contingent will look like but what I'm certain is that the numbers will go down. That's why there has been no official communication from the council. We can't really tell whether the remaining sports will compete in the event as it's at the government's jurisdiction," said the official.

A list seen by Nation Sport showed that 17 disciplines had been registered for the 21-day event.

The disciplines are table tennis (10),cycling (six),chess (three),swimming (six), volleyball(men and women-28),beach volleyball (men and women-six),wrestling (six),weightlifting (six),Judo (six),handball (men-14),boxing (6),triathlon (six),tennis (10),basketball 3x3 (women-six),rugby(14), taekwondo (six) and Athletics (35).

As per the list, only 159 athletes will fly the country's flag compared to the last edition, which had 259.

Athletics Kenya senior vice president Paul Mutwii said they are in a big dilemma after the KNSC handed them 30 slots for athletes - 16 men and 14 women, and five officials.

This is a 50 percent reduction from a squad of 61 athletes that represented the country at the 2019 African Games.

“KNSC communicated saying the reduction that cuts across other federations is occasioned by lack of funds from the government,” said Mutwii, adding that they will now pick one athlete in each event where athletes have attained the qualifying standards.

AK will conduct their trials on March 5-6 at Nyayo National Stadium.

The sports that are yet to get a nod are hockey, shooting, rowing, karate, badminton and archery.

Kenya Hockey Union President Nashon Randiek said they had not received any communication from the KNSC.

"It's unfair that to date we don't know our fate. The teams (men and women) are still training at the City Park as we await the official communication. It's unfair that we have to wait this long to know if we will be competing in the Games or not," Randiek said on Thurday.

Volleyball teams (Malkia Strikers and Wafalme Stars) were the first to report to camp on Thursday evening. 

Wafalme will, however, be without head coach Gideon Tarus in Accra.

Tarus, who coaches former Kenya Volleyball Federation National League champions, General Service Unit (GSU), has been recalled for official duty at the Kenya Police Service.

Tarus led Wafalme to a second finish behind winners Egypt during the Africa Games Zone Five qualifiers in Cairo last month.

In his absence, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) coach and Wafalme Stars assistant coach Elisha Aliwa will take over as the East Africans return to the African Games for the first time since 2011, where they won bronze in Maputo, Mozambique.

KVF President Charles Nyaberi said the federation has been forced to have only two officials per team (Wafalme and Malkia Strikers), while the beach volleyball teams will have one coach and a team manager.

"Malkia Strikers had a light training session today morning at Nyayo National Stadium Gymnasium before they reported to camp at 4pm alongside their male counterparts Wafalme. I know we are pressed for time but we will make use of the available time and make it count. We are also engaging international clubs that have our players that have been named in the teams to release them in advance. Should they fail to come here, then we are pursuing ways in which they can link up with the teams in Ghana," said Nyaberi.

"As much as we will miss the guidance of Tarus, we are also aware that if we stop him, he might not have this chance which might take another three years. Therefore, we wish him well," Nyaberi added.

The foreign-based players in the volleyball teams are middle blocker Simion Kipkorir and captain Enock Mogeni for Wafalme and Malkia's hard-hitting Veronica Adhiambo.

The three were not part of the teams that qualified for the Africa Games during the qualifiers in January.

Mogeni is attached to Club Al Arabi of Qatar, while Kipkorir is with club Mouloudia Boussalem in Tunisia. Adhiambo plies her trade in Greece with club GS Panionios.